Reversing apparatus for regenerative furnaces



March 18 1924.

G. H. ISLEY REVERSING APPARATUS FOR REGENERATIVE FURNACES SSheetswShee?. 1

j )57 QZTov'/ 4Filed Aug. 2, 1922 Mafch 18 1924. 1,487,334

G. H. ISLEY REVERSI'NG APPARATUS FOR REGENERATIVE FURNAGES Filed Aug. 2,11322 3 sheetsheet 2 March 18 1924.

G. H. lsLEY REVERSING APPARATUS FOR REGENBRATIVE FuRNAcEs 3 Sheets-Sheet5 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

narra` stars GEORGE H. ISLEY, OF IVORCESTEB., *MASSACHUSETTS ASSIGNOR TOMORGAN CON- STRUCTION COMPNY, OF VIORCESTER, IMIASSAOHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF :MASSACHUSETTS REVERSING APPARATUS FOR REGENERATIVEIEURNACES.l

Application filed. August 2, 1922. Serial No. 579,215.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. IsLEY, a citizenv of the UnitedStates,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a ReversingApparatus for Regenerative Furnaces, of which the following, togetherwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The present invention relates to iinprovements in apparatus which isused to procure the reversal of a furnace of the regenerative type.

The invention partakes, in part, of the principles of operation whichcharacterize the reversing apparatus formingthe subject matter of mycopending companion application Serial No. 268,391,1iled December 26,1918, and my United States Letters Patent No. 1,408,946, dated March 7,1922, in respect of providing reversing units each consisting of bodilymovable hoods and gravity acting flue closures.

The present invention inheres in the provision of a novel operatingmechanism, acting jointly` and in proper sequence on said hoods and onsaid closures, in such a manner as to render the latter independent ofengagement by the former, in the act of reversing the furnace. Otherandfurther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description, and from the accompanying drawings, inwhichf` Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticview illustrating the application of theinvention in twounit form, to a regenerative furnace.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the reversing units asused in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of such a unit, shown in connectionwith the operating mechanism therefor whichconstitutes the subjectmatter of the present invention, parts of the latter being broken awayto disclose lmore clearly the constructiol'i thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the apparatus as seen from the rightin Fig. 3.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are transverse `sectional views on the lines A-A, B-Band CTC, respectively, 'of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation showing a modification of theinvention.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the 'different gures.

`By way of illustration merely, the invention is here shown as appliedto anarrangement of reversing apparatus similarto that disclosed andclaimed in my aforesaid copending application, the same involvingduplicate reversing units, one at each end of the furnace, and eachoperative with respect to five cotermino'us furnace flues. It is to beunderstood that the invention is not in any sense limited to the aboveor any other specific arrangement of reversing units, the presentshowing of same, according to the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2, beingbut one of a large number of adaptations.l

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, the regenerative furnace 1,',of anywell known type, is provided at its opposite ends with theusualv gasregenerator vpassages 2, 2 and the usual air regenerator passages 3, 3.In the use of duplicate reversing units for such aV furnace, accordingto the principle set forth in my aforesaid copending application, andherein adoptedfor purposes of illustration, these gas and airregenerater iiues at each end of the furnace have, between and inalinement with their ter-z minals, a pair of stack flue terminals 4, 5and 4, 5 respectively, all eonnectin0r with a common stack passage 6.Also, adjacent the terminal of eachy gas regenerator passage 2, 2, isthe terminal of a gas supply passage 7, 7', thus providingat each end ofthe furnace a set of five -coterminous flues for cooperation with thetwo-part hood structure shown in Fig. 2.

The latter consists essentially of a pair of hoods 8, 8 `which aremovable in unison, each being of sufficient size to bridge over andconnect two adjacent flue terminals; as shown in Fig. 2. correspondingto the right hand unit of Fig. 1, the arrangement is such, for each endof the furnace, that the hoods leave unbridged one or the other of theend terminals depending upon the position of the unit. It will fbe wellunderstood that under these conditions, with the reversing units in thepositions shown in Fig. 1, the passage of air and gas through thefurnace is from right to left, the two right hand stack terminals L1 and5 being blanked off; when said units are moved to their other positionsby a left hand shifting movement, Fig. 1, the direction of the productsof combustion through the furnace is reversed. 1n this connection, it isto be noted that in common with the aforesaid copending application,each gassupply terminal 7. 7 is equipped with a swinging closure 9,adapted, as hereinafter described, to open within the associated hood 8,and to close its terminal when the latter is left exposed by theshifting of said hood.

According to the present invention, the two hoods 8, 8 of each reversingunit are structurally united by a pair of beams 10. 10, the latter attheir opposite ends, as shown in Fig. 3, being pivotally connected toparallel arms 11 and 12. The arms 11 and 12 are pivoted to a water sealor base casting 13, which has flanged openings in register with the iivealined flue terminals and which maintains around said openings asutlicient body of waterto seal with the edges of closures 9, 9 and withthe depending skirt 14 of each hood 8.

For obtaining the travel back and fort-h of each reversing unit, by aparallel rising and falling motion, as constrained by the arms 11 and12, the present invention provides a shaft 15 which is suitablyjournalled in bearings provided by extension brackets of the basecasting 13. Said shaQt 151i is adapted to be driven through suitablegearing 16,y 17 from a reversible motor 1S, Fig. 3, which is caused toopera-te in one direction to procure the right hand movement of thereversing unit and in the other direction to procure the left handmovement of the reversing unit. To this end, the shaft 15 has formedthereon, on its left hand end, Fig. 3, a screw 19, Aby the rotation ofwhich longitudinal movement is imparted to a threaded nut or block 2G,between the full and dotted line positions of same. as indicated in Fig.A crosshead 21 slidable in a track 22, provided by the base 13, isconnected to the block 2O by means of a rigid tube 23 encircling theshaft 15, and threaded at each end into the respective members, and thussaid crosshead is caused to reciprocate back and forth in response tothe periodical operations of motor 18.

On a stud 241 projecting from said crosshead is journalled a roller 25which is engageable in an open-ended track 2G formed on the adjacentpivoted arm 12. yIn the movement of the crosshead back and forth, toeffect the translatory shifting of the reversing unit, said roller 25,for a portion of said movement, travels in the track 26, entering at theopen vupper end thereof, and causes arm 12 to move from dotted to fullline position and vice versa, Fig. 3, thus shifting the two-part hoodstructure from right to left or from left to right, as the case may be.

Referring to Fig. 3, and assuming the parts to be in extreme left handposition, as comprehended by the dotted line showing of arm 12. theinitial right hand movement of the crosshead 21 brings the roller 25into immediate engagement with the track 26, and said roller, lby itspressure against the side of saidtrack, procures the shifting of thearmv 12 into full line position, it being understood that this action isaccompanied by a descending and ascending movement of the rollerI in thetrack. By reason of its connection to the arms 11, 12, the reversingunit is constrained to swing over in a parallel motion, first upwardlyand then downwardly, and to assist in pro curing the upward component.of this motion, a pair of levers 27, 27carrying counterweights 28, 28,are pivoted on posts 29, 29 and carry rollers 30, 30 which engage withthe under sides of beams 10, 10.

When the arm 12 and track 26 reach full line position, as shownv in Fig.3, the roller 25 emerges from the upper end of the track, and thecontinued right hand movement of crosshead 21 presses said rolleragainst a lever 31, the lat-ter being connected to a rock sha-ft 32which carries the closure 9. This engagement between-roller 25 and lever31 rocks the cover 9 into open position and holds it there, and henceprocures the un sealing of gas supply flue terminal 7 or 7 immediatelyfollowing the establishment of a communication between said terminal andthe adjacent regenerator terminal 2 or 2, by the superposed associatedhood 8, as shown in Fig. 2. i

On the opposite rotation of the motor 18, to procure left hand movementof the reversing unit. the initial travel of the crosshead 21 to theleft, before roller 25 enters the track 26, allows Vthe cover 9 toclose, by gravity, thus sealing the gas supply terminal -7 or l7', whichis about to be exposed. Thereupon the roller 25 enters the track 26 andprocures the shifting movement to the left of the entire reversing unit,so that the two hoods thereof connect the two regenerator terminals withthe adjacent stack passages, i. e., as would appear in Fig` 2 by movingthe hoods 8, 8 to the left. It is to be noted that the closure 9 of eachreversing` unit, may, as a result of its operation in the manner abovedescribed, be utilized to regulate the flow of igas from the supplyflue, by limiting the outward travel of the crosshead 21, or by changingthe angular relation between said closure and its lever 31 on the shaft32.

Referring to Fig. 9, the invention is shown in connection with areversing unit adapted to be operated hydraulically, the actuatingmechanism consisting, for instance, of a pair of opposed hydrauliccylinders 33, 33, within which work a pair of plungers, connected toopposite ends of a rod 34. A sliding block 35, corresponding to thecrosshead 21, Fig. 3, and travelling in ways provided by the basecasting' 36, is connected to and moved by a rod 37, the latter having arigid attachment, as shown at 38, with a hydraulic plunger rod 34. Theblock carries a roller 25 which engages, as heretofore described, in theopen track 2t of arm l2, to carry the latter back and forth in the actof shifting or reversing a unit from one position to the other. In theman ner also previously described, the roller 25 is engageable with alever 3l on the shaft of flue cover 9, to move the latter into the openposition illustrated in Fig. 9. The operation of the mechanism shown inFig. 9 is substantially the same as the operation of the mechanism shownin Fig. 3, and the degree of opening of cover 9 may be varied in thesame way.

I claim, l. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with aset of furnace iues, of a shiftable reversing member cooperatinvtherewith, an end closure for one of sai fines, and a common actuatingdevice engaging said member and said closure separately to move them insequence.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with a set of furnace fiues, of

a movable flue-connecting member cooperating with said flues andconstrained to have a parallel motion of translation, a swinging flueclosure, and a common actuating device engaging said member and saidclosure in sequence to impart motion thereto.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a set offurnace iiues, of a movable flue-connecting member cooperating with saidfines and constrained to have a parallel motion of translation, aswinging iiue closure, and a common actuating device for said member andsaid closure having a rectilinear motion, and adapted to engagey them insequence.

4t. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a set offurnace itiues, of a cooperating shiftable reversing member having aparallel motion of translation, a gravity closing i'lue cover, and asingle means engageable separately with said member and said cover toshift the former and to open the latter.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movableflue-connecting element, of a flue closing element adapted to openwithin said connecting element and a single means engageable with fbothof said elements to cause them to function in sequence.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a. movableflue-connecting element, of a flue closing element adapted to openwithin said connecting element and an actuating means, exterior to bothof said elements and engageable with them sepLA arately for causingtheir movements in seA quence.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movableHue-connecting element of a pivoted flue cover adapted to close bygravity, and an actuating mem= ber engageable with said element to movethe same and engageable with said cover to open the same.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movableHue-connecting element, of a ue closing element adapted to open Withinsaid connecting element and a reciprocating member operating on one partof its stroke to engage and shift said connecting element, and on theremainder ot' its stroke to engage and control said closing element.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a movableflue-connecting element, ot' a. swinging arm pivotally connected to saidelement to constrain parallel motion thereof, an open ended track onsaid arm, a reciprocating actuatin member for said element, and a rollercarrled thereby which enters said track to Vswing said arm.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a flue-connecting element and aflue-closing element, a common actuating member for said elements havinga reciprocating motion and means for controlling the extent of travel ofsaid actuating member in one direction to vary the opening of said Hueclosing element.

Dated this 26th day of July, 1922.

GEORGE I-I. ISLEY.

